scholarly journals Major histocompatibility complex peptide ligands as olfactory cues in human body odour assessment

2013 ◽  
Vol 280 (1755) ◽  
pp. 20122889 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manfred Milinski ◽  
Ilona Croy ◽  
Thomas Hummel ◽  
Thomas Boehm
Keyword(s):  
Major Histocompatibility Complex ◽  
Mate Choice ◽  
Vomeronasal Organ ◽  
Peptide Ligands ◽  
Major Histocompatibility ◽  
Mhc Molecules ◽  
Histocompatibility Complex ◽  
Evolutionarily Conserved ◽  
Body Odour ◽  
The Right

In many animal species, social communication and mate choice are influenced by cues encoded by the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). The mechanism by which the MHC influences sexual selection is a matter of intense debate. In mice, peptide ligands of MHC molecules activate subsets of vomeronasal and olfactory sensory neurons and influence social memory formation; in sticklebacks, such peptides predictably modify the outcome of mate choice. Here, we examine whether this evolutionarily conserved mechanism of interindividual communication extends to humans. In psychometric tests, volunteers recognized the supplementation of their body odour by MHC peptides and preferred ‘self’ to ‘non-self’ ligands when asked to decide whether the modified odour smelled ‘like themselves’ or ‘like their favourite perfume’. Functional magnetic resonance imaging indicated that ‘self’-peptides specifically activated a region in the right middle frontal cortex. Our results suggest that despite the absence of a vomeronasal organ, humans have the ability to detect and evaluate MHC peptides in body odour. This may provide a basis for the sensory evaluation of potential partners during human mate choice.

scholarly journals CD1 and Major Histocompatibility Complex II Molecules Follow a Different Course during Dendritic Cell Maturation

2003 ◽  
Vol 14 (8) ◽  
pp. 3378-3388 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole N. van der Wel ◽  
Masahiko Sugita ◽  
Donna M. Fluitsma ◽  
Xaiochun Cao ◽  
Gerty Schreibelt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dendritic Cells ◽  
Major Histocompatibility Complex ◽  
Dendritic Cell ◽  
Mhc Class Ii ◽  
Class Ii ◽  
Dendritic Cell Maturation ◽  
Cell Maturation ◽  
Major Histocompatibility ◽  
Mhc Molecules ◽  
Histocompatibility Complex

The maturation of dendritic cells is accompanied by the redistribution of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II molecules from the lysosomal MHC class II compartment to the plasma membrane to mediate presentation of peptide antigens. Besides MHC molecules, dendritic cells also express CD1 molecules that mediate presentation of lipid antigens. Herein, we show that in human monocyte-derived dendritic cells, unlike MHC class II, the steady-state distribution of lysosomal CD1b and CD1c isoforms was unperturbed in response to lipopolysaccharide-induced maturation. However, the lysosomes in these cells underwent a dramatic reorganization into electron dense tubules with altered lysosomal protein composition. These structures matured into novel and morphologically unique compartments, here termed mature dendritic cell lysosomes (MDL). Furthermore, we show that upon activation mature dendritic cells do not lose their ability of efficient clathrin-mediated endocytosis as demonstrated for CD1b and transferrin receptor molecules. Thus, the constitutive endocytosis of CD1b molecules and the differential sorting of MHC class II from lysosomes separate peptide- and lipid antigen-presenting molecules during dendritic cell maturation.

scholarly journals The Role of Peptides in T Cell Alloreactivity Is Determined by Self–Major Histocompatibility Complex Molecules

2000 ◽  
Vol 191 (5) ◽  
pp. 805-812 ◽  
Author(s):  
Reinhard Obst ◽  
Nikolai Netuschil ◽  
Karsten Klopfer ◽  
Stefan Stevanović ◽  
Hans-Georg Rammensee
Keyword(s):  
T Cells ◽  
Major Histocompatibility Complex ◽  
T Cell ◽  
Target Cells ◽  
Major Histocompatibility ◽  
Complex Molecules ◽  
Mhc Molecules ◽  
Histocompatibility Complex ◽  
Alloreactive T Cells

By analyzing T cell responses against foreign major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules loaded with peptide libraries and defined self- and viral peptides, we demonstrate a profound influence of self-MHC molecules on the repertoire of alloreactive T cells: the closer the foreign MHC molecule is related to the T cell's MHC, the higher is the proportion of peptide-specific, alloreactive (“allorestricted”) T cells versus T cells recognizing the foreign MHC molecule without regard to the peptide in the groove. Thus, the peptide repertoire of alloreactive T cells must be influenced by self-MHC molecules during positive or negative thymic selection or peripheral survival, much like the repertoire of the self-restricted T cells. In consequence, allorestricted, peptide-specific T cells (that are of interest for clinical applications) are easier to obtain if T cells and target cells express related MHC molecules.

scholarly journals Major histocompatibility complex conformational epitopes are peptide specific.

1992 ◽  
Vol 176 (6) ◽  
pp. 1611-1618 ◽  
Author(s):  
B Catipović ◽  
J Dal Porto ◽  
M Mage ◽  
T E Johansen ◽  
J P Schneck
Keyword(s):  
Major Histocompatibility Complex ◽  
T Cell ◽  
Murine Cytomegalovirus ◽  
Major Histocompatibility ◽  
Cell Repertoire ◽  
Mhc Molecules ◽  
Histocompatibility Complex ◽  
Peptide Binding Groove ◽  
Binding Groove ◽  
Derivatives Of

Serologically distinct forms of H-2Kb are stabilized by loading cells expressing "empty" class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules with different H-2Kb binding peptides. The H-2Kb epitope recognized by monoclonal antibody (mAb) 28.8.6 was stabilized by ovalbumin (OVA) (257-264) and murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) pp89 (168-176) peptides, but not by vesicular stomatic virus nucleoprotein (VSV NP) (52-59) and influenza NP (Y345-360) peptides. The H-2Kb epitope recognized by mAb 34.4.20 was stabilized by VSV NP (52-59) peptide but not by OVA (257-264), MCMV pp89 (168-176), or influenza NP (Y345-360) peptides. Immunoprecipitation of H-2Kb molecules from normal cells showed that 28.8.6 and 34.4.20 epitopes were only present on a subset of all conformationally reactive H-2Kb molecules. Using alanine-substituted derivatives of the VSV peptide, the 28.8.6 epitope was completely stabilized by substitution of the first residue and partially stabilized by substitution of the third or the fifth residues in the peptides. These results indicate that distinct conformational MHC epitopes are dependent on the specific peptide that occupies the antigenic peptide binding groove on individual MHC molecules. The changes in MHC epitopes observed may also be important in understanding the diversity of T cell receptors used in an immune response and the influence of peptides on development of the T cell repertoire.

scholarly journals Characterization of a Murine Cytomegalovirus Class I Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) Homolog: Comparison to MHC Molecules and to the Human Cytomegalovirus MHC Homolog

1998 ◽  
Vol 72 (1) ◽  
pp. 460-466 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tara L. Chapman ◽  
Pamela J. Bjorkman
Keyword(s):  
Major Histocompatibility Complex ◽  
Heavy Chain ◽  
Class I ◽  
Major Histocompatibility ◽  
Class I Mhc ◽  
Endogenous Peptides ◽  
Β2 Microglobulin ◽  
Mhc Molecules ◽  
Histocompatibility Complex ◽  
Infected Cells

ABSTRACT Both human and murine cytomegaloviruses (HCMV and MCMV) down-regulate expression of conventional class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules at the surfaces of infected cells. This allows the infected cells to evade recognition by cytotoxic T cells but leaves them susceptible to natural killer cells, which lyse cells that lack class I molecules. Both HCMV and MCMV encode class I MHC heavy-chain homologs that may function in immune response evasion. We previously showed that a soluble form of the HCMV class I homolog (UL18) expressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells binds the class I MHC light-chain β2-microglobulin and a mixture of endogenous peptides (M. L. Fahnestock, J. L. Johnson, R. M. R. Feldman, J. M. Neveu, W. S. Lane, and P. J. Bjorkman, Immunity 3:583–590, 1995). Consistent with this observation, sequence comparisons suggest that UL18 contains the well-characterized groove that serves as the binding site in MHC molecules for peptides derived from endogenous and foreign proteins. By contrast, the MCMV homolog (m144) contains a substantial deletion within the counterpart of its α2 domain and might not be expected to contain a groove capable of binding peptides. We have now expressed a soluble version of m144 and verified that it forms a heavy chain–β2-microglobulin complex. By contrast to UL18 and classical class I MHC molecules, m144 does not associate with endogenous peptides yet is thermally stable. These results suggest that UL18 and m144 differ structurally and might therefore serve different functions for their respective viruses.

scholarly journals Major histocompatibility complex-associated odour preferences and human mate choice: near and far horizons

2020 ◽  
Vol 375 (1800) ◽  
pp. 20190260 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Havlíček ◽  
Jamie Winternitz ◽  
S. Craig Roberts
Keyword(s):  
Major Histocompatibility Complex ◽  
Mate Choice ◽  
Relationship Satisfaction ◽  
Mate Selection ◽  
Adaptive Immune System ◽  
Mate Preferences ◽  
Olfactory Communication ◽  
Major Histocompatibility ◽  
Histocompatibility Complex ◽  
Meta Analyses

The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) is a core part of the adaptive immune system. As in other vertebrate taxa, it may also affect human chemical communication via odour-based mate preferences, with greater attraction towards MHC-dissimilar partners. However, despite some well-known findings, the available evidence is equivocal and made complicated by varied approaches to quantifying human mate choice. To address this, we here conduct comprehensive meta-analyses focusing on studies assessing: (i) genomic mate selection, (ii) relationship satisfaction, (iii) odour preference, and (iv) all studies combined. Analysis of genomic studies reveals no association between MHC-dissimilarity and mate choice in actual couples; however, MHC effects appear to be independent of the genomic background. The effect of MHC-dissimilarity on relationship satisfaction was not significant, and we found evidence for publication bias in studies on this area. There was also no significant association between MHC-dissimilarity and odour preferences. Finally, combining effect sizes from all genomic, relationship satisfaction, odour preference and previous mate choice studies into an overall estimate showed no overall significant effect of MHC-similarity on human mate selection. Based on these findings, we make a set of recommendations for future studies, focusing both on aspects that should be implemented immediately and those that lurk on the far horizon. We need larger samples with greater geographical and cultural diversity that control for genome-wide similarity. We also need more focus on mechanisms of MHC-associated odour preferences and on MHC-associated pregnancy loss. This article is part of the Theo Murphy meeting issue ‘Olfactory communication in humans’.

scholarly journals Donor major histocompatibility complex (MHC) peptides are presented by recipient MHC molecules during graft rejection.

1992 ◽  
Vol 175 (1) ◽  
pp. 305-308 ◽  
Author(s):  
G Benichou ◽  
P A Takizawa ◽  
C A Olson ◽  
M McMillan ◽  
E E Sercarz
Keyword(s):  
T Cells ◽  
Major Histocompatibility Complex ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Major Histocompatibility ◽  
Skin Allograft ◽  
Mhc Molecules ◽  
Histocompatibility Complex ◽  
Molecular Therapies ◽  
Antigen Presenting

Peptides from donor major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules were examined for their activation of allogeneically primed T cells. After immunization with either allogeneic spleen cells or a skin allograft, primed T cells proliferate in response to peptides derived from polymorphic regions of alpha and beta chains of class II allo-MHC molecules. The results demonstrate that presentation of donor-MHC peptides by host-derived antigen-presenting cells is a common event in vivo. Thus, self-restricted T cell recognition of processed alloantigens may play a critical role in transplantation. An in-depth understanding of this response may result in the development of additional molecular therapies to combat allograft rejection.

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